The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has begun the second phase of its smart prepaid meter pilot project in Brofoyedru, located within the Ahenema Kokoben District of the Ashanti West Region.

As part of this phase, ECG has installed 100 advanced smart prepaid meters—comprising 90 single-phase and 10 three-phase units—at no cost to selected customers. These meters replace non-smart prepaid, faulty prepaid, and postpaid meters in the area.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr. George Amoah, General Manager of ECG’s Ashanti West Region, said the two-month pilot will be used to assess the performance of the new technology before any decision is made regarding a larger rollout.

The initiative is part of ECG’s flagship Loss Reduction Project (LRP), designed to enhance operational efficiency and reduce energy losses across the distribution network.

Ahenema Kokoben was chosen for the pilot due to its rapidly expanding customer base and increasing demand for electricity. The district currently serves over 50,000 customers, with numbers projected to rise to between 80,000 and 100,000 by next year.

Mr. Amoah outlined several features of the new smart meters, including an integrated activity recorder that logs all user actions. The meters are capable of detecting tampering or illegal connections, automatically disabling the device and preventing further credit purchases.

The smart meters are connected to ECG’s Meter Management System (MMS), which enables customers to buy credit online and monitor real-time electricity usage and transactions via the User Interface Unit.

ECG is closely monitoring the installed meters to ensure the pilot's effectiveness and eventual success for both the company and consumers. Mr. Amoah also assured customers that any unused credit from old meters will be transferred to their new smart meters.

He encouraged the public to actively support the fight against power theft by reporting illegal connections to ECG or the national task force via the hotline 0551444011. Whistleblowers providing credible information will receive a 6% commission on any recovered amount.